Every year Cecil and I plan a 3-4 night trip for our anniversary. A couple years ago we had tossed around the idea of traveling to Ireland for our 5th anniversary (this year) but due to budget constraints we had to shelve that idea. Then of course COVID-19 came along, so I’m glad we weren’t out thousands of dollars because of travel restrictions.

We decided this year instead to travel to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a string of barrier islands and peninsulas that separate the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean. I’m a North Carolina native and had never been to the Outer Banks prior to this trip. Cecil and his parents enjoyed a timeshare in the town of Duck when he was a child but he hadn’t been back since. We settled on a hotel in Kill Devil Hills, which is towards the northern end.

If you’re traveling from Charlotte, like us, it’s about a 5.5 hour drive almost due east. Our route took us past Raleigh and through the flat swamps and farmlands of the eastern part of the state. We stopped for lunch in Tarboro, a historic town located just east of Interstate 95 on the Tar River. We traveled on a Sunday so downtown was pretty quiet but we did find a great Mexican restaurant – Taqueria Las Delicias. I had the gorditas carnitas and Cecil had the torta milanese pollo. Both meals were HUGE but so delicious.

After a couple more hours of driving, Highway 64 dumped us out at the Croatan Sound. We crossed the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge (the longest bridge in the state) past the towns of Manteo and Wanchese and then turned north towards Kill Devil Hills.

Our motel was absolutely wonderful. The See Sea Motel was built in the 1950s but was fully renovated recently. It’s located on Highway 12 (the two-lane road that runs along the beach), so it’s much quieter than the busier Highway 158 a few blocks west. We didn’t realize how noisy our neighborhood in Charlotte is until we stayed here. With it being the off-season we were the only guests at the hotel, except for one night. Each room is uniquely decorated, complete with a mini-fridge, toaster oven, microwave, and Keurig coffee maker. We chose a king bed room with a small sitting area and it was perfect for our needs. The beach is just across the street (behind the monstrous vacation rental houses) and a public access is within easy walking distance.

After we unpacked we headed straight for the beach to stretch our legs and enjoy the view. It was VERY windy but the weather was beautiful. We searched for shells and watched the variety of birds, such as pelicans and sandpipers. My Florida native husband was in heaven.

By the time we walked back to the hotel neither of us felt like going out for dinner so we picked up a sandwich and salad from Publix and ate in the room. We put on our pajamas, watched the Sunday Night Football game, and fell asleep.

Stayed tuned for Day 2 – Duck and Manteo!